Air booster for sawmill setworks



Aug. 19, 1952 Filed Feb. 15, 1949 w. F. cAHooN 2,607,374

AIR BOOSTER FOR SAWMLL SETWORKS 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Hull/l ',lu Mya 'l'. I 1 Y Aug. 19, 19.52 w. F. cAHooN AIR BOOSTER FOR SAWMILL SETWORKS 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed Feb. l5, 1949 INVENToR. Wzl/AME' (//a/V tented ug. 19, 1952 UNI-TED STATE AIR BOOSTER FOR SAWMILL SETWORKS William F. Cahoon, Birmingham, Ala., assignor to The Wheland Company, Chattanooga, Tenn., a corporation of Tennessee Application February 15, 1949, Serial No. 76,493

k2 Claims. (Cl. 143-118) l The invention here disclosed relates to sawmill setworks. l

One of the principal objects of the invention is to provide power means for assisting the setter in setting the kneesor standards on the head blocks.

Y articularly it is a purpose of the invention to provide such power mechanism in a form available for use by the setter when desired but leaving the setter free to operate the setworks manually if he so chooses.

A special object of the invention is to afford a control which will simulate the back and forth action of the setters lever so that control can be exercised in a manner to which the setter is accustomed.

Further important objects of the invention are toy provide a power booster of the character indicated which may be readilyeincorporated with exisiting setworks or be built into newly designed setworks at reasonable cost and which will not add objectionable bulk or projections on the sawmill carriage and will, on the whole, contribute to the safety and eiciencyof operation of the entire apparatus.

Objects of the invention also are to provide mechanism of simple, rugged construction, free of complicated parts and generally desirable for the purposes outlined.

Other desirable objects attained by the invention and the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts through which the purposes of the invention are attained are set forth or will appear in the course of the following specification.

The drawings accompanying and forming partV of the specification illustrate a present commercial embodiment of the invention. Structure, however, may be modified and changed as regards the immediate illustration, all within the true intent and broad scope of the invention as hereinafter defined and claimed.

Fig. 1 in the drawings is a broken and part sectional side elevation of a sawmill setworks having the invention incorporated in and applied thereto; 4 Y

Fig. 2 is a broken front view showing particularly the booster cylinder connected with the rocker arm and air supply connections between the same and the control valve on the set lever;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged broken sectional view of the control valve and connections between thel same and the handle which may be used by the setter as a pilot for effectingcorresponding power operation of the lever and parts associated therewith;

Fig. 4 is a. broken front elevation andfpart sectional view illustrating details of thevzpilot handle and control valve mechanism. j, 'l

In the general View, Fig. 1, a-sfetworks isillustrated conventionalin designto the extent of embodying knees or standards 1 operatedon head blocks 8 from a set shaft Shaving a ratchet I0 engaged by pawls II, I2, onpawl carriers ;I3, I4, actuated through links I5, IB, fromrockerarms I1, I8-, on rock shaft I9,

Under the present invention rock shaft IQ may be oscillated by hand in theusual manner,4 or by power, as elected bythe setter.k

For the hand operation there isprovideda set lever and in order thatvthis same lever may be' utilized for power control purposes, the upperend of the lever is made as a separate, independently movable handle partl operative to throw a valve for controlling the powerV operation.v

The lower main portion of the Vset lever ,is shown at 20 secured in a socket'Z I 4ontheroclser casting 22 and the control handle Lisshownjat 23 pivoted on the upper end and' to` swing in the same plane as the lever at24. 'Y A I y This handle may be locked to constitute a rigid bar or extension of the set lever by means of a bolt 25 slidingly guided in the handle for engagement at its inner end in a notch 26 in the end of the lever. A spring 21 normally holds the bolt retracted, with the handle unlocked from the lever and a thumb button 28 exposed at the upper end of the handle provides conveniently accessible means for the Setter to lock the handle to the lever at will.

Flat springs 29 bearing against opposite sides of the-handle hold it normally centered, with the bolt in position to be instantly thrust into lock-v ing engagement with the notch in the end of the lever.

The power operation is supplied in the present disclosure by a relatively small, short stroke air cylinder 3U swiveled in bearings at 3l at the side of the carriage, below the setworks and having a piston with a rod32 pivotally connected with a toggle arm or lever 33 on or secured to the rocker 22. l

This toggle arm is shown -as carrying three sets of coupling sleeves 34, 35, 36, at the back of the same for the necessary air connections, including the supply line3'l from the air receiver, the extension 38 of the same leading to the four-way control valve 39 and the lines 40, 4I, running from this valve back to coupling sleeves 35,' 36, and thence continued at 42, 43, to the upper and lower ends, respectively, of the air cylinder.

Various forms of control valves may be em ployed, that shown being of a simple, practical form suited to the purpose and embodying a valve element ported to admit pressure to one end while releasing pressure from the opposite end of the air cylinder when rocked in opposite directions by means of lever 44 carrying a pin 45 entered in slot 46 in the leverage extension 4'! of handle y23.

To limitVV the swing of handle 23 and prevent overthrow of the valve, the handle extension 41 is shown as operating in a guide 48 carrying stop screws 49, 50, adjustable for accurately determining the extent of handle and valve movement.

The air cylinder, trunnioned directly below the rocker and below the floor level of the carriage, is out of the way and does not interfere with norfmal operations about the setworks. The control valve and connections on the setleve'r arenotin the way and do not interfere with use of the 'seti-lever for manual-operations; Ifthe setter itfishe to operatemanually',` it is only necessary to hold in the-thumb button 28while rocking the leverfusi'ngl this" handle asa grip;`

For power assist the setter merely rocks the handle23 inthe direction in which he wishes the set lever-to 'go' and more or less' at the speed and tcy the proportionate extent at which he wishes the lever Vto travel. The'v 'setter can thus use the handle as a pilot to direct and control the lever and hence the s'etout for each board. control may beA exercised with cushioning effect and the operation may be as fast as desired tospeed up production.

While compressed air may generally be prefred. as the 'nlotive fluid, it is contemplated that other power may be employed. Also, while 'usually preferable toplace all. control parts on the set lever,- it is contemplated that the control valve may be mounted elsewhere, within convenient reach of the setter.

What is claimed is: Y

1. In avsawmill setworks havinga-setshaftand lits `a rocker for settingsaine,` a settersleve'r mount- 4 ed on said rocker, a setters lever handle pivotally mounted on the upper end of said lever, a. valve mounted on said lever and connected for actuation by said lever handle, said lever handle and valve having an intermediate, neutral position, a depressible locking bolt in said lever handlefor mechanically coupling the same to the setters lever in saidv intermediate;v neutral position of the parts, a power' cylinder and piston connected to eect power operation of said vrocker and uid pressure control connections between` said power cylinder and valve.

2. In a sawmill setworks having a set shaft and a rocker for setting same, a setters lever mountedv on said rocker. a. setters lever handle pvotally mounted on the upper end of said lever, a valve mounted on said lever and connected for actuation by said lever handle, said lever handle and valve having an intermediate, neutral position. a depressible locking bolt in said lever handle' for mechanically coupling the same to the setters lever in said intermediate; neutral position of theparts, a power cylinder and'y piston connected to effect power operation of said rocker and uid pressure control connections between said power cylinder and Valve including couplings on said rocker, the pressure connections to the valve andA to the cylinder being engaged with said couplingsii REFERENCES' CITED The following references are" of record tlie le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTSV Number VName Date .91,767 PafIKl'uI'SJ' Jllflr2`2, 18.69 235,833 White v Dec. 21. 1880 357,032 Rayne's Feb. l, 1887 440,388 Beard Nov. 1'1, i890 770,517 Brown sept. 2o. i904 896,342 Wkm Aug. 181, 1908 1,543,218 Martin Jurie"2?. 1925 

